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Review
Murray and Scales are serious military historians [and] have a knack for integrating tactical vignettes into their operational narrative . . . Details like these give the reader a bit of the taste and smell of the fighting. More important, [the authors] use them adroitly to highlight factors that shaped the thinking of American military commanders at key stages and to point out critical lessons about the conduct of modern war . . . What emerges from their book is a far more comprehensive view of a far more complicated war than the vast majority of readers may have gleaned from the snapshots provided by the news media during the 23 days of major combat operations.--Kenneth M. Pollack "New York Times Book Review "
Product Description
Two of America's most distinguished military historians go beyond the blaring headlines, embedded videophone reports and Centcom briefings to analyze events in light of past military experience, present battleground realities and future expectations. The Iraq War puts the recent conflict into context. Drawing on their extensive military expertise, the authors assess the opposing aims of the Coalition forces and the Iraqi regime and explain the day-to-day tactical and logistical decisions of infantry and air command, as British and American troops moved into Basra and Baghdad. They simultaneously step back to examine long-running debates within the US Defense Department about the proper uses of military power and probe the strategic implications of those debates for America's buildup to this war. Surveying the immense changes that have occurred in America's armed forces between the Gulf conflicts of 1991 and 2003 - changes in doctrine as well as weapons - this volume reveals critical meanings and lessons about the new "American way of war" as it has unfolded in Iraq. Williamson Murray offers his insight as principal author of the operations volume of the Gulf War Air Power Survey, commissioned after the 1991 conflict in Kuwait. Major General Robert H. Scales, Jr., US Army retired, brings perspective as head of the Army's team of Gulf War historians. He also served as Commandant of the Army War College.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
There are already too many books on the Iraq War, but this compact and mostly objective history is the best of the bunch if you are looking for a quick and factual overview from the purely military perspective. Other books treat individual events in greater depth, or take stronger (often controversial) positions on the issues, or provide deeper analysis of the thicket of surrounding issues. But none does as good a job at covering the basic facts of the military operations.
If you are looking for an informed and clear-headed account of the military operations of the Iraq War without the encumbrance of ideology or political agendas start here. What analysis this book does contain is provided in a separate chapter at the end of the book and consists exclusively of clear-headed and balanced insights into the military lessons (many of which are bitter pills) of the war.
The only real shortcoming of this book is that it is so understated. Events that loomed large in the hysterical real-time media coverage of the war (the firefight at the overpasses on the approach to Baghdad, the Jessica Lynch "rescue") are all given their proper place in the context of the overall strategic situation. As a result, it is easy to miss important clarifications (e.g. the extent to which the disorientation of the maintenance convoy that was attacked at An Nasiriyah was an almost inevitable consequence of the Coalition plan and the speed with which it was executed), though the implications are clearly spelled out (support units need better close-combat training).
Like many history books published by non-specialty presses, this one suffers from a lack of maps and diagrams. The few maps that are provided, though colorful, are not tied to the text and convey very little information. There are also no organizational charts provided, which is particularly frustrating given the difficulty of following who did what in a campaign that involved so many ad hoc formations.
But these are minor issues. Overall this book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what happened in Iraq in 2003 -- and the military implications for the years ahead.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book will not appeal to the conspiracy theorists (or fantasists) on either side of the ideological divide. It is a good factual account where events are placed in their strategic context. There is no hype in this book, it is critical where necessary and only uses modest praise when praise is deserved.
The book has a useful preamble about the recent history of Iraq and the rise of Saddam and debunks the myths surrounding western support for Saddam's regime.
There is a very interesting chapter on the resurection of the US Forces post Vietnam; the US military as we see it today is only a recent phenomenon.
The accounts of the war are factual and without hysteria and battles and skirmishes are placed within their correct strategic context, a lesson that the media could well take note of. The chapter on the British war in the south is concise but appropriate in its strategic context (although the writers do make a few small errors and fail to mention that some US Marines were placed under the command of the British).
Overall a good no nonsense early history of the war, it will be interesting to compare this with Sir John Keegan's book when it is published later this year.
Format:Hardcover
I may be alone, but I never really understood what happened during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This book written at the operational level, is short and precise but provides a clear picture of what actually happened during this remarkable operation. It describes the background to Desert Shield, and then goes on to summarise Desert Shield very clearly and then concentrates on OIF. The maps are ideal for folowing the course of the operation at Brigade level and above,and gives fair recognition to the UK contribution. The photographs have also been well selected. In all a great little book which provides a clear overview of the campaign. It was written just as the war had ended and so does not contain information on the capture of Saddam or the later counter-insurgency operations carried out by the Allies.
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